Cape Town — Over five days, from November 2 to November 6, a man was tied up and beaten to death and three other seriously injured in three separate incidences of vigilante attacks in Philippi and Khayelitsha.
But the first week of November was not unusual. Almost daily in South Africa township residents, predominantly young men, are being injured or killed by mobs meting out 'people's justice' as communities take the law into their own hands in a bid to tackle crimes ranging from petty theft to rape and murder.
The three incidents of vigilantism in Cape Town last week are just an example of what happens in communities any week of the year.
All the victims of vigilante actions were young men aged between 17 and 26 who had been accused of theft.
In the most violent of these three incidents, 26-year-old Khululekile Mkiva was caught breaking into a house near his home in Philippi on November 2. Shouts from those who caught him quickly attracted a crowd.
Mkiva's hands and feet were bound and he was carried to his parents' house. The parents told the crowd of about 100 residents that Mkiva was a thief and they should discipline him as they saw fit, before retreating back into their house.
Mkiva was taken back to the scene of the crime and beaten to death with sticks, pipes, stones and half-bricks.
In the other mob attacks that week, Sivuyile Skilash-Ntlali, 24, had his arm broken at the elbow with a hammer, as well as two fingers, before being rescued by a passing police patrol.
Fifteen-year-old Nkosinathi Mvuse had his feet burnt with melting plastic. Shawn Majiyezi, 21, got off lightly. He was beaten up but nothing was broken or permanently injured.
As a result of Mkiva's death four people, including a 17-year-old grade 11 learner, have been arrested and charged with murder.
And not all these victims of mob justice are necessarily guilty of the crimes they're being punished for.
Although they admit commiting past robberies, Skilash-Ntlali and Majiyezi both deny being involved in the housebreaking they were accused of and believe they were blamed due to their reputation.
"Everytime a house is broken into they blame us," said Skilash-Ntlali.
This year they have been assaulted five times by mobs of residents. Luckily someone had always called the police and they were pulled out of the crowd.
Neither has laid charges against their attackers as they fear that would only serve to anger the community further.
And while the vigilante action is aimed at reducing crime, some residents say they now live in fear of groups who patrol the streets in the guise of unofficial neighbourhood watches.
Philippi resident Siyanda Bomvu, 35, said rather than having groups of residents assaulting anyone they thought was suspicious, the police should be more visible.
"The vigilante attacks happen fast, in the blink of an eye. By the time police arrive the suspect is dead," said Bomvu.
"Having street patrols does not make a difference, it makes things worse. In the mornings we find dead bodies of people beaten by the patrols."
Philippi resident Nonkosiyabo Mgwenxa said certain people were constantly targeted by vigilantes.
"If people know a certain person has been in prison before, when there has been a housebreaking they tend to make that person the number one suspect. After unfair interrogation and immediate trial the person could be dead within minutes."
Nyanga police spokesperson Ntomboxolo Sitshitshi confirmed Mkiva's death and said the arrest of four people indicated they took the matter seriously.
In answer to the accusation by residents that they took the law into their own hands because police took too long to get to the crime scene, Sitshitshi said: "That is lie. Police respond to calls immediately. Regarding the Mkiva incident, no one called the police."
But Social Justice Coalition coordinator Gavin Silber said people were frustrated by slow response from the police and had not faith in the justice system.
"That is why they are taking the law into their own hands," said Silber.
"Cases are thrown out of court because there is not enough evidence to convict the alleged perpetrator. Dockets are lost at the police stations resulting in cases being thrown out," Silber said.
However, vigilante action was a criminal act, he said, and police should be called whenever they suspected someone of committing a crime.
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) senior researcher David Bruce said vigilantism had its roots in the '80s when the police were seen as the enemy. Additionally, police collaborators were subjected to kangaroo courts and swift punishment, often through the use of the brutal 'necklace'.
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
